Chair



F. J. LUKETA Feb. 9, 1954 CHAIR 2 Shee 12S-Sheet l Filed May 9, 1949Feb. 9, 1954 F. J. LUKETA 2,668,580

CHAIR Filed May 9. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet iin FRANK J. LUKETAv INVENTOR.

REYNOLDS 5 BEACH AT ORNEYS Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE CHAIR Frank J'. Luketa, Seattle, Wash.

Application May 9, 1949, Serial No. 92,153

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-105) The present invention is one of a series dealingwith lounge chairs, whereon copending applications are filed in theUnited States Patent Oice. In substantially al1 such cases a seat and aback are supported from a door-engaging frame, or xed support, fortilting, each independently of the other, Iabout a tilting axis which islocated adjacent the rear edge of the seat, and which extends as anunbroken solid or hollow shaft from one side to the other.

The present invention concerns a chair of the same general nature, andparticularly concerns a chair wherein simplicity of construction andcompactness are promoted, without loss of essential ruggedness,rigidity, or flexibility of operation and adjustment, by thesubstitution of segmental shafts located adjacent the pivot axis andextending from one side to the other of the respective mainbody-supporting elements, in lieu of the unbroken solid or hollow shaftsheretofore used. The arrangement is such as will still permit theindependent tilting of the seat and the back.

` By thus achieving simplicity of construction,

not only is the cost of the chair lessened, but the ease of assembly ordisassembly is greatly enhanced, and, moreover, by reason of theomission of parts likely to get out of order, the ruggedness of thechair as a whole is materially improved,

and the manufacture and assembly of its various parts is simplied.

It is a further specific object in such a chair, wherein the seat andthe back are independently tiltable about a common axis, in effect tosplit that axisl between them, so that while still maintaining theruggedness and rigidity of adequate torque-transmittingcross-connections between the two sides of each of the seat and back,and adequate iiexibility of independent movement for each thereof, thereis a minimum of interior parts, and a maximum of mutual support, andwhich as a result makes possible the substantially direct connection toeach of the seat and back of the motor means which accomplishes tiltingthereof, thereby materially simplifying the construction and assembly ofall parts of the chair.

With these objects in mind, and others as will appear as thisspecication progresses, the present invention comprises the novel chair,and the novel combination and arrangement of the parts thereof relativeto one another, and the novel individual subcombinations, all as areshown in the accompanying drawings in a typical form, and as will bemore fully explained and defined hereinafter.

Figure l is in general a plan view of such a chair, with various partsbroken away and shown in section, with the seat and back disposed insubstantially horizontal position, and with the foot rest projected.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View, with parts broken away toillustrate the simplicity of the tilting means for one of the mainbody-supporting elements.

Figure 3 is a horizontal axial sectional View, with parts substantiallyin the positions of Figure l, taken along the tilting axis of the seatand back,` and Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View through the axis,with certain parts omitted for clearer understanding of the partsillustrated.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of one of the complemental segmental shaftelements.

The seat I and the back 2 are supported for tilting about an axis in thevicinity of the rear edge of the seat, from a licor-engaging frame 3. Afoot rest 4 may be supported for projection and retraction relative tothe forward edge of the seat, and in the construction shown issemi-independent of the seat frame. In addition it is tiltable withrespect to the seat I, and although not necessarily so arranged, hereinits tilting axis coincides with the axis which is common to the seat andback. A head rest 5 is supported from the back 2, with respect to whichit is projectable and retractable.

The frame 3 is made up of two hollow side arms cross-connected byelements 32 and 33, one of which, at least, may constitute a foot. Inaddition, a rod 30 extends between the hollow side arms, and is securedto each, as indicated at 3| (see Figure 3), whereby it becomes a simplematter for the rod 30 and the elements carried thereby to be dismountedfrom the supporting frame.

Secured for oscillation about the rod 30, which thereby becomes a pivotsupport,. is a composite shaft made up of two shaft segments, which aregenerally alike. One such segment is shown in Figure 5. This may 'beassumed to be the segmental shaft section which supports and rotates theback, and which will therefore be designated generally by the numeral20, and a companion section I0 supports the seat. Referringparticularly, then, to the section 20, this includes an outer end orterminal section 22, an enlarged cylindrical section 23, and a longsegmental section 24. The shaft section I0 in similar fashion is formedwith a cylindrical end section I2, and a long segmental section I4.Taken together, the segmental portions 24 and I4 do not occupy 360,

but allow relative rotational movement of perhaps 90. This is best seenby reference to Figure 4.

To the shaft section I0 are secured the arms Il, by means such as areindicated at IIa, which arms are secured in turn to the frame of theseat I. yEach such arm, in the portion which embraces the compositeshaft, is formed with a cylindrical collar. Hence with respect to thearms II that are secured to the shaft I0, the segmental portionV 24 ofthe shaft 20 is merely journaled within the bore in the end of the armII. In similar fashion arms 2I, which are secured to the back 2, aresecured at 2Ia to the shaft 20,

vided. 1with amplebearingsat lziothen'ds,` and yet 3 afford thenecessarydegree of cross rigidity between the two sides of the seat and of theback, respectively. shaft I0, 20 is bored to receive, and oscillatesabout the pivotI rod 30, yet each shaft I and 2D' is left with a freecylindrical end I2 or 22, for the direct connection of power means toeffect their tilting.

To the latter end double arms I5 are secured to the end portion I2 ofthe shaft I0, and a jack screw I8, directly rotated by the motor I9located within one frame arm 3, threads within a nut I1, which istiltably supported at I'Ia in the outer end of the arms I5. Theseat-tilting motor I9 is pivotally mounted at I9a in the floorengagingframe at a point offset from the pivot axisat 30 of the seat and back.In similar fashion arms 25 are secured to the cylindrical end 22 of theshaft 25. A nut 2l pivotally mounted at 21a receives the jack screw 28driven from the motor 29, pivotally mounted at 29a Within the otherframe arm 3. v

Controls for the motors (not shown) are located conveniently to theoccupant, so that he may, by pressure upon a button, determine the senseof operation of any motor, and initiate and stop its operation at will.Thus he may tilt up- Wardly or downwardly either the seat I or the back2, or both thereof, or actuate other controls, later alluded to.

The connection between the motor which effects such movement, and theseat or back which is so moved, is about as direct as can be obtained,and the mechanism is throughout extremely simple and yet effective. Itoccupies a minimum of space, its bulk and weight are small, and it isreadily accessible for servicing.

Conveniently the foot rest is projectable and retractable with respectto the seat, and is supported in effect from the seat, although forretraction and projection it reacts from the frame.

The side marginal portions of the frame of the seat, see Figure 3,define a channel I6. This guide or channel I6 receives a first slide 4I,for projection and retraction, and the latter also is formed as a guidefor a second slide 42. The foot Taken together, the composite 4 sincethese provision are not part ofuthisinvention.

I claim as my invention.

l. A chair comprising a floor-engaging frame,

aseat, a back, two segmental shaft elements dis- V, posed one alongsidethe other to constitute conjointly a single but interrupted cylindricalshaft, the two parts whereof are mutually relieved angularly tovoscillate relatively through a limited angle about their common axis,the frame constituting a journal support for said composite shaft, theseat and thefends of one such shaft element being rigidlyinterconnected, and the back and the ends of the other shaftelementbeing similarly rigidly interconnected, and means carried by therespective shaft elements for engagement by tilting means, whereby totilt 7 for independent tilting about a common axis located adjacent therear edge of the seat, a sup` port for the seat and the back comprisinga cylindrical shaft for journal support in the frame,l located in thetilting axis, and formed as two segmental shaft elements disposed onealongside the other, and having overlapping confronting portions, saidoverlapping confronting portions being conjointly of an angular extentless than 360, whereby either may koscillate about the common axisindependently of the other through a restricted angle, means at the endsof each for securement to the seat and to the back, respectively, andmeans carried by each shaft element for Atilting engagement by tiltingmeans, independently of the other shaft element.

3. In a chair as in claim 2, four collars embracing both shaft elements,two adjacent each end, one such collar at each end, for securement tothe seat, being secured to one such shaft element, and the other shaftelement being jour? naled therein, and the other such collars, for

rest 4 is secured to the outer end of the second slide 42.

The mechanism for tilting the foot rest 4 includes a shaft 62, journaledin the seat frame,

and an arm 6l, journaled about the composite shaft I0, 20, but it isunnecessary to describe the securement to the back, being secured to theother shaft element, and the first shaft element being journaledtherein. 4. In a chair as in claim 2, wherein the shaf elements arecomplementally axially bored to constitute a hollow shaft, a pivot` rodreceived in such bore for securement at its ends to the frame, toconstitute a support about which each of the shaft elements, and hencethe seat and back, may tilt. 5. A chair as in claim 2, characterized inthat, each shaft element, at one terminus, is com# pletely cylindrical,and the respective means for tilting engagement are connected to suchtermiand for tilting, upon arms 5I, pivotally mounted y at S, and thepivot shaft 50 is movable inwardly and outwardly along the frame of theback v2, in guides 54a. A nut or nuts at opposite sides of the back,indicated at 52, are threaded upon jack screws 53, which are rotated atlike speeds in 1 the shaft 50 is received and journaled. The arms f 5Iare secured tothe shaft 50. Tilting is accomplished by means of an armor arms 55, and other mechanism not necessary to describe,

nal ends.

6. A chair as in claim 5, wherein each means for tilting engagementcomprises a radial arm on each cylindrical terminal end, and a nuttiltably carried by each such arm, for the reception of a complementaljack screw on the frame.

FRANK J. LUKETA.

References cited in 'the sie of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTs NumberName Date 287,769 Miller Oct. 30, 1'883 369,558 Scarritt Sept. 6, 18871,182,125 Whitehead May 9, 1916 1,231,015 Grant June 26, 1917 2,133,471Opperman Oct. 18, 1938 2,349,701 Buttinkofer May 23,1944

